United Incorrectly Told Comic-Con Attendees They Couldn't Check Their Comics

Some San Diego Comic-Con attendees, looking forward to heading home and digging into their haul of comic books and graphic novels, faced some surprising news as they checked in at San Diego International Airport on Sunday. As Consumerist first reported, signs were posted at United Airlines check-in counters informing passengers that Batman, Spiderman, and their allies were not allowed in your suitcase. "Comic-Con attendees: remove all comic books from checked luggage," read the signs.

Confused—and, likely panicking—comic collectors faced with the prospect of figuring out how to pack stacks of rare editions into their carry-ons used Twitter to express their concern. That's when the TSA joined the conversations and things got really interesting—and even more perplexing.

After one Twitter user posted a warning to fellow travelers about the United notices, a United spokesperson chimed in, writing that that rule was set by the TSA and applied to all airlines, not just United. A representative of TSA, undoubtedly mystified by the claim, quickly chimed in, writing, "Good afternoon. Pls note there are no TSA restrictions on checking comic books or any other types of books."

While it's still unclear whether the rule was enforced for all United passengers (the airline did not immediately respond to Condé Nast Traveler's request for clarification), at least one passenger transferred her comics to her carry-on: "Due to restrictions that may or may not have been true, I do have some comics to read while I wait?" she wrote on Twitter.

What exactly was behind United's decision to enforce a non-existent TSA rule? While it's not exactly clear, a statement from a United spokesperson shared with The Verge points to one possible cause of the airline's security mishap. "We misunderstood TSA’s instructions and regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers,” said the spokesperson. What instructions, you ask? The Verge points to a blog post published by the TSA in advance of last year's Comic-Con, which included a recommendation to carry on, rather than check in comics, as large stacks of books or magazines can call for additional security, which could lead to delays. Not exactly fine print, United.

TSA's brief experiment with screening books separately could have contributed, too: Starting in May, reports emerged of passengers being asked to remove books and put them in separate trays before passing through TSA checkpoints. In a blog post last month, the TSA explained that it was testing the measure at select airports, but that the trial period had ended and the agency has "no intention of instituting those procedures."

While we may never know exactly how United made the mistake, especially considering 2017 hasn't quite been a great year when it comes to PR, one thing is for certain: If Twitter is anything to go by, don't ever get between comic book fans and their comics.